The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-08
BLAINE At ST LOUIS.


The Maine statesman Makes . Brief and
Fellcitous speech in Response to = Cor
dial Reception by the st. Louis Merchsnts'
Exchang&
ST. LOUIS, March S1.-Hon Jas. g. Blaine
and party, consisting of Mrs. Blaine, Mss
Blaine. Miss Dodge, who has made herself
famous under the nom de plume of Gail
Hamilton, the cousin Of Mrs. Blaine, and
Mr. Stephen B. Elkins, arrived in the city
last night and were met ct this
Union depot by q citizens COM
mittee, who escorted them to car.
riages in which they were driven to the
Lindell Hotel. Crowds surrounded his
quarters at the hotel and he was given .
warm welcome. He, in response to an in
vitation from the committee appointed for
the purpose, stated that he would not
enter into . political speech, but accepted
the invitation aud delivered the following
at the Merchants Exchange this afternoon
to large and enthusiastic audience:
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN or The
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.: 1 can we'll say
that it is equally surprise and a graf
ification to myself 10 be here at this mo.
ment / arrived in your beautiful city
last evening, and may say that was not
only honored with an invitation, but
served with notice to be here at this
time. Applause And having long
been under good discipline, re-
sponded. But as a Maine man. 1
ara sure feel at home in Missouri, for
old Colonel BENTON had happy remark
which he always addressed to Main men.
that Maine came into the Union on the
back of Missouri, or Missouri came into
the Union on the back of Maine, h. didn't
know which, but they both got in togcth
er. Applause. And so we have had o
strong bond of sympathy because of our
twin birth az States in the Federal Union.
was II this city long before the vast
majority of the gentlemen whom I have
the honor to address,. l saw St Louis for
the first time very nearly forty years ago
was but boy, but found that in tray
cling bow has larger eyes than.a. mau Of
mature years; and at tnst time in the
course Of few days ralntlc I knew
every street and alley, and pretty much
every steamboat that landed at your
wharf. But though have q somewhat
retentive memory, must say am now
lost in the maze Of this magnificent en-
porium, and tho little city OF 1900 which
1 then found on the banks Of the Missis-
sippi is altogether unacceptable to-day.
therefore, although / have Ia the inter-
val been here some three or four times,
may claim myself to be stranger to the
great and magnificent proportions which
your city has since assumed. lido not know
myself, and could not recognize as l
started out upon your streets this morn
ing, the old land -marks which were once
familiar to me. Your growth, gentlemen,
is the growth of the Republic. [Cheers.
In peculiar sense your growth is the
growth of the trans Mississippi Republic;
a republic which is a far greater one, a
far grander one, a far richer one than the
Federal Union when Missouri became
member of it. And it is in that great re-
gion hitherto and as yet scarcely de-
veloped-it is in that great region
that this city is 10 have its i'm
perial growth and its enormous de-
velopment. With twenty thousand
miles OF river by which you are connected
with steam navigation, with forty thou
sand miles of aiwav in the old territory
of Louisiana, which did not have one SOL
itary mile when was first in this city
with all these vast agencies of transporta-
ton, what NAV not be expected of this
place! You have that which, as a RApre-
sentative in Congress, l was long since
made familiar with-you have that jeal-
Gus, that wltchful care of your access to
the sea for which the original Territory OF
Louisiana was purchased under the ad-
ministraJioa of jefferson.
1t was to give this Westera country &C.
cess to the open oceans of the world that
the Mississippi was desired as an Ameri-
can river; and the people of St Louis do
well. and the people of St. Louis do wisely
TO jealously guard that great outlet to the
waters of the world. TL>ad cheer,l But,
gentlemen, with all the congratu atoms
which ] feel il in nv heart to extend. to
you, with al the compliments which your
immense growth calls from every lip,
feel that have one reproach against St
Louis. [Sensationl. l feel that have
one reproach against this great trans
Mississippi department A little over
eighty years ago it belonged to foreign
power, and by the narrowest possible
chance it was kept from falling into the
hands of England; but the watchful care,
the great nerve and courage, the states
manlike grasp OF Thomas Jefferson.
standing between the policy OF
France and the aggressive energy
OF Great Britain, plucked the whole
territory of Louisiana from the am
bition of both, and made it into an Ameri-
can State Tchecrs]; and that vast domain
for which Jefferson gave $l5, 0oO. 0o0 is now
represented in seven great and prosper
Gus States and three large Territories,
which in the course of time will add four
or five States, possibly, to the Am erican
Union.
Never was a conquest so great, 50 ex-
tensive, acquired by peaceful methods
Never was so great conquest made by
war that conQuering power was able to
hold. Then, let me say, that my reproach
to st. Louis-my reproach to every foot
and every inhabitant Of the territory of
Louisiana, is that on its entire surface,
which represents o third part Of the Unit
ed States, there is not a statue raised to the
honor of Thomas Jefferson. Loud cheers
St Louis is the capital, the emporium.
and will be for all time, of that which was
the territory OF Louisiana more Oh GERS.
will be forgiven, am sure, for remind
ing you that gratitude to the great man
who has gone, gratitude to that great man
who, in the annals of American
greatness, should stand next to
Washington, l will be forgiven, I am
sure, when say that the duty of St Louis
and the duty of the merchants Of St Louis
is to erect within your beautiful city a
statue Of him who more than any other
man BY scratch Of q pen, created an EN-.
pire. Loud cheers.
Gentlemen, thank you very sincerely
for your cordial reception. Mr.. President,
am profoundly indebted for your words
of courtesy. I am here simply as your
guest; and am impressed SO by it that ]
shall mol commit the offense Of trespass
ing upon your patieaee, but with my cor
dial wishes for your increased and ever |
increasing prosperity. I bid you good |
Enthusiastic and continued |
applause.
TIckllSh Ground.